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Mechanics and Materials

Momentum

  • 5 things to know
  • Papers 1 and 3

Overview

Conservation of linear momentum, impulse, and how force relates to rate of change of momentum.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Your recallNot started
Key term

What kind of quantity is momentum, and what does conservation of linear momentum state?

Numbers

What is impulse, and how is it found for a constant and for a varying force?

Numbers

How does force relate to rate of change of momentum, and what does that mean for safety design?

Key term

In an explosion where the system was initially at rest, what is the total momentum of the fragments after the explosion?

Process

When a stationary object explodes into two fragments, how do the momenta of the fragments compare?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    How is momentum defined in terms of mass and velocity?

    Model answer

    Momentum is defined as the product of mass and velocity (p = mv).

  2. 2

    What type of quantity is momentum, and what does this imply about its description?

    Model answer

    Momentum is a vector quantity, meaning it has both magnitude and direction.

  3. 3

    What is the SI unit of momentum?

    Model answer

    Kilogram metres per second (kg m s⁻¹).

  4. 4

    State the principle of conservation of linear momentum.

    Model answer

    The total momentum of a closed system remains constant provided no external resultant force acts on it.

  5. 5

    In a closed system, how does the total momentum before an interaction compare to the total momentum after?

    Model answer

    The total momentum before the interaction equals the total momentum after the interaction.

  6. 6

    How is force defined in terms of momentum?

    Model answer

    Force is how quickly momentum changes: F = Δ(mv)/Δt.

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